Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER After many years of bringing my family to Florida for vacations, my wife and I decided to plan for our retirement, which included moving to the Sunshine State. Previously, we had rented condos but eventually invested in timeshares on Sanibel Island. After an exhaustive search for […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Across the island, sand deposited inland has gone back out on the beach. With the tides from each day, they are quickly moved up and down the island. Here, three views of the area by The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club. Nov. 6 shows the big dump of sand, bulldozer roadway and shelf created. Above, a […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
A gift that keeps on giving. It’s that time of year when we give gifts to people we love and appreciate. What better gift than a subscription to the Boca Beacon? It comes in several flavors. The print edition ($68), the E-edition ($34) or the Gasparilla Magazine ($29). Contact the office at (941) 964-2995 or […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, News.
The annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, sponsored by the Boca Grande Woman’s Club, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 5 p.m. Unfortunately, the tree across from Hudson’s did not survive Hurricanes Helene and Milton so the ceremony will take place around the tree across from the front door of the Gasparilla Inn. Island clergy […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, News.
Alternative temporary sites are being considered for the Boca Grande Preschool after suffering major damage from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, said Preschool Director Kellene Carpenter. “These last two storms really took a toll on the preschool,” Carpenter wrote in an email to the Beacon. “We are on the verge of having an approved plan for […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The Island Disaster Fund has already given $1.8 million away to aid the quick reopening and rebuilding of businesses and organizations on Gasparilla Island. As of this week, they have raised $3.35 million from donors here, and from across the nation. “This community is blessed because a lot of people have seen that they can […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Featured News, Health & Wellness, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Experts are still watching red tide, but with winds, and cooler weather, the area may escape a bad season. The Calusa WaterKeepers have been seeing fluxtuating results for red tide amounts, said Codty Pierce, WaterKeeper and life-long resident of the Caloosahatchee watershed. “I’m hopeful,” Pierce said. “We still have this consistent east wind which has […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The new November/December edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. The cover depicts the Boca Grande Range Light, an iconic local landmark, reimagined by artist Ashley Lippincott in a bold pop-art style. Featured stories include a tour of Sarasota’s Historic Burns Court, an […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
A celebratory reinstallation of The Temptation sign on Park Avenue on Tuesday. From left, co-owners Jeffrey Simmons, Andy Duncan and Kevin Stockdale. This week they were working hard to re-open as soon as possible. Photo by Christine Borgersen
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
In a long-term list of things that needed to be fixed after double hurricanes, the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority had some items that were easier and much more crowd-pleasing. “Dog biscuits are back. We had to wait until we got gate arms,” said Kathy Banson, executive director. “We can’t distribute biscuits without gate arms.” That, […]